Air pump for food containers



Feb. 16, 1954 v LAZERUS 2,669,176

AIR PUMP FOR FOOD CONTAINERS 7 Filed June 22, 1951 9 I I /5 8 2 I INVENTOR rate/vow B. LAZEEl/S,

i/ BY PX-mflm v/9 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16, 1954 i? -ICE 1 "'AIRJBUMP FOR EOOIITUDNTAINERS I invention :relates to food "containers *or receptacles andmoreiparti'ciilafly "to a "food-con- ,taTmerj having {}a manually "op'erated'air pump"for prcidu'cing. a fluid pressure in'the'container differlefit fiomatmospheric, pressure.

'I-tis amongthe objects er the invention to profimprovefd container for "perish-able magpump, which iseasily'operatedbyfingerpressure .and which is simple 'andtdurable "in construction, .economical'to. manufacture positive'and 'e'fiective operation, and neatfmd attractive in ap- .,:pearance.

' Gtherobj'edts andadvantageswill becomeapparent .from aconsideration of the following' description andthe'appended claims in conjunction withcthe accompanying .drawing .wherein; I

"Figure '1' is a'top' plan view'of'a container-"and air pump a-ssembly illustrative :(if' llhe inVentin; Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on theline 3 -.2flfli3gm'e l;

a cross sectional-mew on-theiline iil- -eidtllignre 2 and I I 'QFigure-fifis a cross sectional view on the -.;line ill-54m Figure 2. p swan continued reference-to the drawin a montainer 4,0. is illustrated ashaving a subst'antially cylindrical side wallportion l I terminating in an open container endand provided at the open end of the eontaineriwith externaliscrew means 12. .A cover. 13in the:iomn of in matizcircular plate is disposed in closing relationship to the open end of the container l0 and is provided with a peripheral flange I4 having internal screw threads 15 which engage with the threads l2 on the container to releasably secure the cover on the container. A sealing gasket N of suitable gasket material is disposed between the end of the side wall ll of the container and the adjacent surface of the cover 13 to provide an airtight seal between the cover and the container. A pump cylinder -I1 i secured at one end to the cover l3 at the side of the cover remote from the flange l4 and extends substantially perpendicular from the cover. A hole 18 is provided the'cover within the area of the pump cylinaier "and communicates with the interior orthe pump cylinderand the "interior of the container t0. This hole 'is -screw "threaded and "a check valve assembly 159 is threaded into the hole. "This check "valve assembly includes an externally screw threaded, cylindrical housing "20 having end walls 21 and 22 each provided with an aperture 'andhaving a cavity therein of 'greater'diameteri than the apertures the "end walls. valve ball 23 is dispos'ediin the .housingin seating relationship to the aperture in the end wall-'21 and a compression spring 2'4 is disposed inthe housing "between the valve ibjall v.23 and theend .wall 22"to'resi1iently'urge the ball into seating engagement with the'end wall'2 I.

In the .arrangement illustrated, "the'check valve T9 permits the passage of air .from 'the;pump cylinder into the container while'precluding passage of airout of the container into the pump cylinder. It is apparent that if this valve were reversed relativeto the cover 13, it wouldpermit the passage of air outof thecontainer into the pump cylinder, and preclude thepassa'ge of .air into' the container. 'Thus; 'withth'efirst arrange- .ment, the valve. is 'efiective' to permit a pressure greater than atmospheric, pressure to 'be built up .inthe container, while in't'he second suggested arrangement, Jitis "effective to "permit a, partial vacuum .to'b'e producedin the container.

'jAn end wall'25 is provided at the end ofthe cylinder "11 remote from the cover I3, "andthis vend wall is provided with a centrally located opening 26 "and a vent opening 21 spacedifrom the opening 26. .Apiston28 is disposed in the cylinder and is 'slidable' between the end of. the cylinder joined'to .theicover l3 and the cylinder end wall 25'andis provided with peripheral grooves receiving packing rings129 of suitable packing material.

aperture "30 extends through "the piston liromone end to the other thereof and istprovided at its opposite ends with internally "screw threaded counterbores 3| and 32.

In the arrangement illustrated, a check valve assembly 33,.similar in all respects to the assembly 19, described in detail above, is threaded into the counterbore 32 in the end of the piston adjacent the cover l3.

A stem or plunger 34 extends from the piston 28 through the opening 26 in the cylinder end wall 25 and a hand knob 35 is mounted on the end of this stem remote from the piston.

A compression spring 36 is disposed in the cylinder between the cover l3 and the end of the piston adjacent the cover and resiliently urges the piston toward the outer end wall 25 of the cylinder.

The check valve 33 is arranged to permit the passage of air through the piston aperture 30 as the piston is moved away from the cover l3 and to preclude the passag of air through this aperture when the piston is moved toward the cover. With this arrangement, when manual pressure on the knob 35 forces the piston toward the cover l3 against the force of spring 36 the air in the space within the cylinder between the piston and the cover I3 will be compressed and forced through the valve [9 into the container. When the pressure on the knob 35 is released, the spring 36 will move the piston away from th cover and additional air will flow through the aperture 3!] and past the valve 33 into the space between the piston and the cover, this air flowing into the cylinder through the vent opening 21 in the cylinder end wall 25. When the piston is again moved toward the cover by manual pressure 'on this knob 35, the additional air will be forced through the valve 19 into the container and by repeating this operation, the air pressure in the container can be built up to a predetermined value above atmospheric pressure.

The valves 33 and I9 both pass air in the sam direction and, if the valve H) were reversed, the valve 33 would be reversed in position and threaded into the counterbore 31 at the end of the piston remote from the cover, so that it would pass air in the same direction as the reverse valve [6. With this arrangement, when the piston was forced toward the cover by manual pressure on the knob 35, air in the space within the cylinder between the piston and the cover would be forced through the aperture 30 in the piston and upon release of the manual pressure on the knob 35, the spring 36 would force the piston toward the end wall 25, forcing this air out of the cylinder through the vent opening 21' and drawing additional air into the cylinder between the piston and the cover [3 through the valve I9 from the container. Upon continuation of this operation a partial vacuum would be produced in the container.

The cylinder is preferably permanently secured at one end to the cover [3 and the end wall 25 is preferably permanently secured in the cylinder, so that the valve arrangement will be predetermined by the manufacturer at the factory, rather than being changeable by a purchaser of the device.

A petcocl; 31 is mounted in an aperture in the cover 13 spaced from the pump cylinder ll, so that the pressure in the container can be equalized with the atmospheric pressure whenever it is desired to remove the cover from the container.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics. thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

A combination container and pump structure formed for selected reversal of component parts thereof to provide each of a vacuum producer and an air compressor, said structure comprising a hollow receptacle body; a cover therefore; a pump cylinder attached at one end to the cover and continuously vented to atmosphere at its other end; a check valve assembly mounted in the cover in the area covered by the pump cylinder to control passage of air between th interior of the receptacle body and the interior of the cylinder at the first-named end of the cylinder, said check valve assembly having a connection to the cover permitting end for end reversal of the check valve assembly in place; a piston working in the cylinder between the ends thereof and having an aperture extending from one to the other end thereof, the opposite ends of said aperture being formed with threaded counterbores; and a check valve assembly mounted in said piston to control passage of air between the interior of the vented end of the cylinder and said first-named end thereof, said secondnamed check valve assembly including an externally screw-threaded, cylindrical housing having end walls each provided with an aperture and having a cavity greater in diameter than either 01 the apertures of the end walls, a valve bail disposed in the cavity in seating relationship to the aperture of one of said end walls, and a spring compressed between the valve ball and the other end wall to normally bias the valve ball to a seated position, said housing being threadable into either of said counterbores for reversal of said second check valve assembly in said piston.

VERNON B. LAZERUS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 168,888 Ellis Oct. 19, 1875 328,673 Heinig Oct. 20, 1885 716,090 Nyberg Dec. 16, 1902 865,022 Dorment Sept. 3, 1907 1,635,815 Briggs July 12, 1927 2,036,007 Wheatley et a1. Mar. 31, 1936 2,055,390 Rouch Sept. 27, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 886,540 France July 5, 1943 

